Joining UMass Lowell EMS

This page outlines what working at UMass Lowell EMS entails.

Regardless of what your certification is, you will need to fill out an application, be interviewed by the administrative staff, and then be hired into the position for which you have applied. The details are in the document below, or for more information click a link to jump to a section of it. You can also read a brief overview.

Application Process:

We accept applications for both Cadet and EMT positions from any student who wishes to join our team regardless of whether or not they are a certified EMT. There are two close dates for submitting an application. For the Fall semester, applications must be submitted by October 1, and for the Spring semester applications must be submitted by March 1st. After these closes dates, testing dates will be scheduled for any EMT certified applicants where a brief multiple choice exam will be administered in order to obtain an understanding of the applicants' baseline knowledge. A candidate's exam grade WILL NOT automatically qualify or disqualify them for employment. Those candidates who are not EMT certified, will not be given an exam.

After the exam date, an interview date will be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time. Any applications received after an application close date will automatically be put into the next semester's pool of applications. The application is available by clicking on "Forms" to the left of your screen.

What a cadet shift entails:

A cadet shift typically lasts from 2000-0200 on weekend nights. You will respond to any and all calls during this time period with the Senior EMT. Your involvement on each call is at the discretion of the Senior EMT on scene. This is entirely volunteer--cadets benefit from becoming more familiar with the program and field of emergency medicine.

Becoming an EMT:

UMass Lowell EMS does not directly train or certify you to become an EMT. However, we work very closely with the class that is taught at Middlesex Community College in Bedford. The class is a semester long and does not typically cost additional out-of-pocket money as long as you are a full-time UMass Lowell student enrolled in the NECCUM program. The class usually meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m., and three or four Saturdays throughout the semester from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a one-hour break. You receive 6 transfer credits towards your degree. This is made possible through the NECCUM program, which must be accompanied with the appropriate form to ensure the credit transfer. More information regarding NECCUM can be found at the Registrar's Office.

You are able to take the class at other schools or over the summer, as long as it results in you becoming a state certified Massachusetts EMT, but you will not be able to take advantages of the benefits offered through NECCUM.

Advantages of being a Cadet/First Responder with UMass Lowell EMS while taking the EMT-B course:

Most students enrolled in the Mass. EMT-B course have no other affiliation with an EMS organization. If you are involved in UMass Lowell EMS while taking the course, you will be able to get field experience while learning, practice the skills you learned in your class with the necessary equipment and help at your disposal, and clarify any questions you had from the class. We also save you money by certifying you in CPR for Health Care Providers at no cost to you (the EMT-B class usually charges around $80+). The EMT's in UMass Lowell EMS often attend practical skill nights at the class and help in teaching. When your state exam approaches, we will hold a practice session with you in order to prepare you sufficiently (as it is also in our best interest to have you pass). Being part of UMass Lowell EMS greatly improves your chances of passing the state exam.

What it’s like to be a UMass Lowell EMT:

UMass Lowell EMS covers all medical requests for the campus 24/7. This organization completely acknowledges that you are a student first, so whenever there is an academic conflict, school gets the priority. The day is divided into three shifts: 0700-1500, 1500-2300, and 2300-0700. While on call, you are required to be in uniform, in close proximity to your truck, on campus, and substance free. You are still able to live your normal life on campus including going to class, eating, doing homework, or sleeping. It is required however that when you are working a shift, you must be able to drop whatever you are doing as soon as you are dispatched to a call. You are dispatched through the UMass Lowell Police Department via portable radio. The radio has a “tone” setting that allows it to be silent until dispatch calls for an EMS response. You and your partner each have your own assigned vehicles. This allows for the two working EMTs to operate independently throughout the day when they are not needed for a call. You are required to do a full inspection of your truck and the medical gear inside of it at the start of each shift.

You are also expected to be at our weekly one-hour meetings. Again, academic conflicts always take precedence over our meetings.

You receive a stipend for each shift that you work, keeping in mind that you can be earning this money while doing what you do on a normal basis throughout the day. Detail coverage is also needed at many points throughout the semester, paid at an hourly rate for you to be present at events, sports games, shows, and concerts.

Continuing Education and additional certifications such as courses to become a CPR instructor are offered as necessary, as well as CPR and driving courses to maintain your required certification.